12:41, 20 March, 2013

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. The President of the United States of America Barack Obama will pay a three-day official visit to Israel on March 20. The “Armenpress” reporter in Jerusalem, member of St. James Convent Archimandrite Koryun Baghdasaryan states that the Grand Sacristan of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, His Eminence Archbishop Sevan Gharibian will participate in the ceremony of official reception in Ben Gurion Airport.

Within the framework of the visit President Obama will also pay visit to the Church of Holy Nativity in Bethlehem, Palestine.

Archbishop Sevan Gharibian (baptismal name Hovhannes) was born in 1940 in Beirut, Lebanon. He received his primary education at the Abgarian and Roupinian school in Beirut.

In 1961 he entered the Jarangavoratz Theological Seminary at the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and graduated, becoming a member of the Brotherhood of St. James.  He was ordained as a celibate priest in 1968, by then Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Archbishop Yeghishe Derderian and given the priestly name of Sevan.

Father Sevan received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet) in 1972, by then Patriarch Yeghishй Derderian.  He was consecrated as a Bishop in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, by the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Vasken I, of Blessed Memory.

In 1990 he received the rank of Senior Archimandrite (Dzayraguyn Vardapet) by Patriarch Torgom Manoukian of Jerusalem.

In 2006 Bishop Sevan was elevated to the rank of Archbishop by the Pontifical Encyclical of the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II.

During his priestly ministry, Archbishop Sevan has held different scholastic and administrative positions at the St. Hagop Monastery. He currently serves the Armenian Church as the Finance Director and Chairman of the Council of Directors at the Monastery.